Always Travel With First Aid. It's Non-Negotiable. | 12 Items To Include
When I was in elementary school, I created a hurricane prepareness kit and stored it in my closet. My family found it and thought it was the most hilarious thing ever. I share that to say I have always liked to be prepared. I don’t like the possibility of not having something I might need.
I started traveling solo back in 2019, and one of the first things I did was add a first aid kit to my packing routine. The kit has evolved over time, but make no mistake that it has come in handy on more than one occasion. Accidents and minor illnesses can happen at any time, so I’ve got a list of twelve things I always have in my travel first aid kit.
1. Band-aids
Band-aids are always a first aid essential for obvious reasons. You don’t want minor cuts, stings, or scrapes exposed, especially in unfamiliar environments. Another trick band aids are good for is mosquito bites, which are prone to happen especially in tropical places. If you can locate honey, dab a bit of it onto a mosquito bite and cover it with a band aid. It stops the itching; thank me later!
2. Gauze
Gauze is more for larger cuts or injuries, which likely and prayerfully won’t happen, but just in case, it’s good to have for wound dressings or to control heavy bleeding.
3. Thermometer
A thermometer can be the difference between seeking professional medical help or simply taking a break to rest and hydrate. If you take your temperature and find that it’s around 99 or lower, you’re probably fine to just take a break, but a thermometer is a pretty important indicator that you should find a local nurse, medical center, or hospital.
4. Neosporin
You’ll want Neosporin as an antibiotic to prevent infection in minor wounds. You’ll want to clean your injury first and then apply this ointment for faster healing and protection for your open wound in unfamiliar environments. This is also good to use for soothing insect bites while away.
5. Rubberband(s)
Rubberbands may seem like an unusual item in a first aid kit, but you can use them as tourniquets to control bleeding or to secure gauze in place.
6. Alcohol Prep Pads
Alcohol prep pads provide necessary sterilization for the skin especially if you’ve just experienced injury. Additionally, if you happen to run out of hand sanitizer, you can use these as a replacement.
7. Hand Sanitizer
Speaking of, hand sanitizer is a must-have in anywhere you go, not just for a first aid kit. It effectively kills germs and bacteria, which you’ll especially want to avoid when traveling. Some diseases and sicknesses are present elsewhere that may not be present where you live. Use hand sanitizer as much as possible on planes, in restaurants, when meeting new people, and any situation where you’re touching surfaces in an unfamiliar environment.
8. Face Mask(s)
Face masks have become an essential item to have since the global COVID-19 pandemic. They provide protection against airborne viruses and reduce the risk of respiratory illnesses. Although they are no longer necessary on planes, it’s still not a bad idea to wear one, since illnesses can more easily circulate in a contained space like a plane. If you have to be in crowds or use public transportation when you travel, it’s also not a bad idea to wear them in those settings.
9. Tylenol
Tylenol is also something I take with me everywhere even when I’m not traveling. For headaches, muscle aches, or fever that won’t go away even with hydration, food, and rest, Tylenol is always my last resort, but I’m quicker to use it on trips where I want to be sure I enjoy my time away without discomfort.
10. Medical Tape
Medical tape can be used for securing wound dressings or splints in place for injuries that require immobilization, but another trick is to use medical tape for nipple coverings. If you happen to forget yours or you run out on your trip, you can use medical tape so you can still wear that cute vacation outfit you packed.
11. Gloves
Disposable gloves are good for dealing with blood or any bodily fluids that may come from an injury, but you can also use gloves if you’re the type of person to clean the accommodations you’re staying in.
12. Allergy Relief Medicine
One of the things I’ve found is that I can be sensitive to something in a different location that I may not be sensitive to at home. Plants, animals, and other things that exist elsewhere may not be native to Virginia, and it’s possible to have an allergic reaction to them. I keep some sort of allergy relief medicine just in case this happens.
A first aid kit might take up just a bit more space, but it’s the responsible thing to have one and it’s worth it. For cuts, scrapes, burns and minor illnesses, you can more easily navigate the unexpected alone when you’re prepared with at least the basics. Safe travels!
